William Frederick Benkelman

1862 - 1932  (70 years)

• Name	William Frederick Benkelman  [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Birth	10 Feb 1862	Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York   [1, 3, 4]
  Gender	Male
  Death	11 Oct 1932	Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan   [3, 4, 5]
  Burial	Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan   [3]
  Notes	Cass City Enterprise December 18, 1902 Local Happenings, page 9 Prof. W. F. Benkelman, of Grayling, is spending a few days with relatives and friends here. Cass City Chronicle Friday, November 7, 1930 Page 4 Week-end guests at the B. F. Benkelman, Sr. home were Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Benkelman and son, Jack, Mr. and Mrs. Willard McKenna and Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Symington, all of Detroit. Cass City Chronicle Friday, October 14, 1932 Vol. 27, Number 27 Early School Supt. Here Died in Detroit Tuesday Wm. F. Benkelman, superintendent of schools in Cass City for three years in the "early eighties," passed away unexpectedly in Detroit Tuesday morning after a very short illness. Funeral services were held in Detroit Thursday night and the burial service will be held in Elkland cemetery this (Friday) morning. Wm. F. Benkelman was born in Lancaster, N.Y., in 1862, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Benkelman, to Cass City at the age of four years. After completing his education in the local school here, he attended North Central College in Napierville, Ill. He was united in marriage with Miss Alice McDougal and they both taught in the Cass City Schools. Mr. Benkelman serving as superintendent for about three years in a period about 1882 to 1885. He was engaged as an instructor in the schools at Grayling and was later employed by the Salling-Hanson Lumber Co., of that city. He afterwards engaged in the lumber business in Owosee (sp?). Mr. Benkleman, for many years, has resided in Detroit. Besides his widow, he leaves one son, John, and two daughters, Mrs. Frances Simington (sic) and Mrs. Helen McKinney (sic), all of Detroit, and three brothers, John A., Samuel G., and Benjamin F. Benkelman, Sr., all of Cass City. (Transcribed by Melinda McLemore Strong) (Research): Census Listings: 1930 Census Michigan, Wayne County, Detroit, Ward 1 Block 104 Enumerated April 12, 1930 ED 82-32 SD 21 Sheet 16B 256-216-75 Benkelman, William Hd M W 69 M 25 NY Germany Germany Clerk Auto Facility Benkelman, Alice M Wf F W 59 M 18 Canada English Canada English Canada English Benkelman, John F Son m W 24 S Mich NY Canada English Asst Advertising Mgr Publishing Co Symington, Edwin S Son-in-law M W 42 M@32 Canada English Canada English England English Manager Electricity Symington, Frances M Dtr F W 38 M28 Mich Ny Canada English
  Person ID	I845	Strong Family Tree
  Last Modified	19 Jan 2021

  
  

  Father	Johann Adam Benkelman,   b. 13 Feb 1825, Waldhausen Parish, Welzheim, Jagstkreis, W?rttemberg, Germany d. 30 Dec 1897, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Age 72 years)
  Mother	Anna Catharina Schaufele,   b. 23 Aug 1823, B?rtlingen, G?ppingen, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany d. 23 Dec 1906, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Age 83 years)
  Marriage	24 Feb 1851	B?rtlingen, G?ppingen, Donaukreis, W?rttemberg, Germany   [6]
  	Catharina and Adam were married in B?rtlingen. On May 16, 2002, Ingolf Vogel noted that "The Kingdom of W?rttemberg was made up of four Kreises - the Neckarkreis, the Schwarzwaldkreis, the Jagstkreis and the Donaukreis. These Kreises were much larger than today's Kreises. Each of them was divided into so-called Ober?mter which are more similar in size to today's Kreises. The Oberamt for B?rtlingen was Kirchheim.. Incidently the Oberamt Kirchheim was the only Oberamt of the Donaukreis west of the Schw?bische Alb (a mountain range). B?rtlingen (today Kreis G?ppingen) has only 745 people listed in it's telephone directory, so it probably doesn't have more than 2000-3000 inhabitants. Adam and Catharina were married in February, 1851, and in June, 1851 they were formally released from the Kingdom of W?rttemberg and would be free to emigrate.
  Documents		B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg Founded 1202 B?rtlingen is a small German village founded in 1202. It is in southwest of Germany in the Schwabish Alps, a few miles outside of G?ppingen. The church on the bottom left of the card is the Evangelische Johanneskirche, the same church in which Catherine and Adam Benkelmann were married before departing for America.
  		B?rtlingen, W?rttemberg, Evangelische Johanneskirche, Summer 2006 Evangelische Johanneskirche in 2006. This is the same church in which Adam Benkelman and Catherine Schaufele were married in in 1851.
  Family ID	F28	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Alice Mary McDougall,   b. Aug 1868, London, Middlesex County, Ontario, Canada d. 27 Aug 1933, Ontario, Canada (Age ~ 65 years)
  Marriage	23 Jul 1886  [4, 7]
  	BonnieMargaret Jacobs instead shows the location of their marriage as in Middlesex County, Ontario.
  Children	1. Frances M. Benkelman,   b. 10 Sep 1892, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan d. 2 Mar 1961, Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan (Age 68 years)   2. Helen McDougall Benkelman,   b. 3 May 1896, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan d. 20 Aug 1976, Livonia, Wayne County, Michigan (Age 80 years)   3. John Frank "Jack" Benkelman,   b. 19 Jul 1905, Grayling, Crawford County, Michigan d. 5 Mar 1989, Troy, Oakland County, Michigan (Age 83 years)
  Family ID	F620	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	3 Jul 2013

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - 10 Feb 1862 - Bowmansville, Town of Lancaster, Erie County, New York Death - 11 Oct 1932 - Detroit, Wayne County, Michigan Burial - - Elkland Township Cemetery, Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos » Slide Show		Benkelman, William Frederick ca 1870's (Thought to be) This was in a group of tintypes originally belonging to Louisa Benkelman Schwegler. These tintypes appear to be of Louisa and her brothers, all children of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City. Alvin Benkelman, Jr., a great grandson of of Adam and Catherine, believes this to be a photo of their son William Frederick. This is based on his comparison to other family and group photos owned and labeled by his late father, Alvin Benkelman Sr. However, based on Marjory Schwegler Battel's identificaton of the various Benkelman sons from a group photo taken around the same time period, it is possible that this might instead be Will's younger brother, Ben. PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THIS ASSUMPTION
  		Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) ca 1878, Family Portrait TOP ROW: Identified by Marjory Schwegler Battel, granddaughter of Lousia, to be l to r, standing, Sam (age 19), Ben Sr. (age 15), John (age 22), and George (age 27) BOTTOM ROW: from left to right, seated, Will (age 17), Louisa (age 25), Catharine (55) and Adam (53). This is likely correct, however several descendants of Ben Sr instead believe he is seated next to his sister, Louisa, and elder brother Will is standing, second on the left. It was probably taken near the families farm in Tuscola County, Michigan.
  		Benkelman, William Frederick, ca 1890-1900 This was in a group of photos originally belonging to Louisa Benkelman Schwegler, labeled William Benkelman. Both Louisa and WIlliam were children of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City. Wm. F. Benkelman was born in Lancaster, N.Y., in 1862, and came with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Adam Benkelman, to Cass City at the age of four years. After completing his education in the local school here, he attended North Central College in Napierville, Ill. He was united in marriage with Miss Alice McDougal and they both taught in the Cass City Schools. Mr. Benkelman serving as superintendent for about three years in a period about 1882 to 1885. He was engaged as an instructor in the schools at Grayling and was later employed by the Salling-Hanson Lumber Co., of that city.
  		Benkelman, Adam and Anna Catharina (Schaufele) Children, after 1910 Top Row, L to R: Louisa Schwegler, John Benkelman, George Benkelman of Denver Bottom Row, L to R: Will Benkelman, Ben Benkelman Sr., Sam Benkelman Marjory Schwegler Battel indicated that she thought we had the order correct, with the possible exception of Ben Sr and John. However, descendants of both men are sure they are labeled correctly as is.
  		Benkelman Brothers ca mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman) Alvin Benkelman, through both memory and photo comparison, believes the brothers are standing in the following order, L to R: George, Ben Sr., John, Samuel and William. All five were sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman of Cass City. PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THESE ASSUMPTIONS.
  		Benkelman Brothers with their wives, mid 1920's (Sons of Adam and Catherine Benkelman) Front Row, L to R: Possibly Alice McDougall Benkelman, Mary Striffler Benkelman, Augusta Krehl Benkelman, Possibly Barbara Rommel Benkelman, Minnie Jesse Benkelman and Samuel Benkelman Back Row, L To R: Thought to be George, William, John, and Ben Sr. PLEASE HELP US VERIFY THESE ASSUMPTIONS.

  
  

• Sources

  [S337] Benkelman, Hilda Jane Stickley THE MEMOIRS OF JOHN A. BENKELMAN (Privately Published, 1966). [S642] FamilySearch.org, Michigan Births 1867-1902. [S653] Cass City Chronicle, P.O. Box 115, Cass City, Michigan 48726, Published continously since 1899, archived from 1899 through 2005 at http://newspapers.rawson.lib.mi.us/chronicle/, Friday, October 14, 1932 (Reliability: 3). [S1610] Jacobs, BonnieMargaret McDonald "The Family Benkelman" Unpublished Manuscript, 276 pages, October 1981 Version, (Copy owned by Barney Benkelman, Helena, Montana; which he xeroxed and sent to Melinda McLemore Strong in San Antonio, Texas), p. 134 (Reliability: 3). [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982. [S1610] Jacobs, BonnieMargaret McDonald "The Family Benkelman" Unpublished Manuscript, 276 pages, October 1981 Version, (Copy owned by Barney Benkelman, Helena, Montana; which he xeroxed and sent to Melinda McLemore Strong in San Antonio, Texas), p. 95, 128 (Reliability: 3). [S492] Peck, Edward Arthur THE TEN BENKELMANS WHO EMIGRATED TO AMERICA Ca. 1850s AND CERTAIN OF THEIR DESCENDANTS, 1982, location of marriage: Cass City, Tuscola County, Michigan (Reliability: 3).